SMITHSONIAN    INSTITUTION 

BUREAU  OF  ETHNOLOGY,  J.  W.  POWELL,  DIRECTOR 


THE  USE  OF  GOLD  AND  OTHER  METALS 


AMONG   THE 


ANCIENT  INHABITANTS  OF  CHIRIQDI,  ISTHMUS  OF  DARIEN 


BY 


WILLIAM     H.     HOLMES 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT    PRINTING    OFFICE 

1887 


SMITHSONIAN    INSTITUTION 

BUREAU  OF  ETHNOLOGY,  J.   W.  POWELL,  DIRECTOR 


THE  USE  OF  GOLD  AXD  OTHER  METALS 


AMONG  THE 


ANCIENT  INHABITANTS  OF  CHIRIQUI,  ISTHMUS  OF  DARIEN 


BY 


WILLIAM     H.     HOLMES 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT    PRINTING    OFFICE 

1SS7 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 

General  discussion 5 

Use  of  gold  and  copper 8 

The  human  figure 14 

The  bird 17 

The  puma 18 

Grotesque  hgure 19 

The  fish •-■  19 

The  frog   19 

The  alligator 21 

The  crayfish  (?) 21 

Miscellaneous - 22 

Use  of  bronze 22 

Bells 22 

Resume'  25 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Page. 

Fig.   1.  Sectiou  of  au  ordinary  grave 7 

2.  Human  figure,  formed  of  copper-gold  alloy 14 

3.  Grotesque  human  figure,  in  gold,  from  Bollaert 15 

4.  Rudely  shaped  and  finished  human  figure 15 

5.  Grotesque  human  figure,  in  nearly  pure  copper,  partially  coated  with 

yellow  gold 16 

6.  Grotesque  human  figure,  in  nearly  pure  gold 10 

7.  Rudely  executed  image  of  a  bird 17 

8.  Image  of  a  bird,  from  Bollaert 18 

9.  Puma  shaped  figure -.  18 

10.  Figure  of  a  puma,  in  base  metal 18 

11.  Quadruped  with  grotesque  face,  in  base  metal 19 

12.  Figure  of  a  fish,  by  F.  M.  Otis 19 

13.  Large  figure  of  a  frog,  in  base  metal  plated  with  gold 20 

14.  Small  figure  of  a  frog,  in  base  metal  plated  with  gold 20 

15.  Figure  of  an  alligator,  by  F.  M.  Otis 21 

16.  Animal  figure,  in  base  metal  plated  with  gold 21 

17.  Bronze  bells,  plated  or  washed  with  gold 22 

18.  Bronze  bell  with  human  features 23 

19.  Triple  bell  or  rattle,  found  on  the  Rio  Grande 23 

20.  Example  of  ancient  Mexican  bell 24 

21.  Frog  modeled  in  clay  and  used  as  a  vase  ornament 27 

22.  Grotesque  anthropomorphic  figures,  used  in  a  stool  like  object  of 

clay 27 

3 


USE  OF  GOLD  AND  OTHER  METALS  IN  ANCIENT  CHIRIQUI. 


By  William  H.  Holmes. 


GENERAL  DISCUSSION. 

Until  comparatively  recent  times  the  province  of  Chiriqui  has  re- 
mained almost  unknown  to  the  world  at  large.  The  Isthmus  was  trav- 
ersed a  number  of  times  by  the  conquerors,  who  published  accounts  of 
their  discoveries,  but  it  was  reserved  for  the  period  of  railroad  and 
canal  explorations  to  give  trustworthy  accounts  of  its  character  and 
inhabitants. 

The  situation  of  Chiriqni  is  unique.  Forming,  politically,  a  part  of 
South  America,  it  belongs  in  reality  to  the  jSTorth  American  continent. 
It  occupies  a  part  of  the  great  southern  flexure  of  the  Isthmus  at  a 
point  where  the  shore  lines  begin  finally  to  turn  toward  the  north. 
Costa  Eica  lies  to  the  west  and  the  province  of  Veragua  bounds  it 
upon  the  east. 

The  antiquarian  literature  of  the  province  is  extremely  limited,  being 
confined  to  brief  sketches,  based  for  the  most  part  upon  the  testimony 
of  transient  visitors,  gold  hunters,  and  Government  explorers,  who  took 
but  little  note  of  the  unpretentious  relics  of  past  ages.  As  there  are 
few  striking  monuments,  the  attention  of  arclweologists  was  not  called 
to  the  primeval  history  of  man  in  this  region,  and  until  recently  the 
Isthmus  was  supposed  to  have  remained  practically  unoccupied  by  that 
group  of  cultured  nations  whose  works  in  Peru  and  Mexico  excite  the 
wonder  of  the  world.  But,  little  by  little,  it  has  come  out  that  at  some 
period  of  the  past  the  province  was  thickly  populated  and  by  races 
possessed  of  no  mean  culture.  One  of  the  most  important  additions  to 
our  knowledge  of  the  province  and  its  archreologic  treasures  is  furnished 
in  the  manuscript  notes  of  Mr.  J.  A.  McXiel,  who  made  the  greater 
part  of  the  collection  now  deposited  in  the  Xational  Museum.  This  ex- 
plorer has  personally  supervised  the  examination  of  many  thousands 
of  graves  and  has  forwarded  the  bulk  of  his  collections  to  the  United 
States.  His  explorations  have  occupied  a  number  of  years,  during 
which  time  he  has  undergone  much  privation  and  has  displayed  much 
enthusiasm  in  pursuing  the  rather  thorny  pathway  of  scientific  research. 

At  the  present  time  this  district  is  inhabited  chiefly  by  Indians  and 
natives  of  mixed  blood,  who  carry  on  grazing  and  agriculture  to  a 
limited  extent,  but  subsist  largely  upon  the  natural  products  of  the 
country.    These  people  are  generally  thought  to  have  no  knowledge  or 

5 


6  USE  OF  GOLD  AND  OTHER  METALS 

trustworthy  tradition  of  the  ancient  inhabitants,  and  are  said  to  care 
nothing-  for  the  curious  cemeteries  among  which  they  dwell,  excepting 
as  a  source  of  revenue.  Mr.  A.  L.  Pinart  states,  however,  that  certain 
tribes  on  both  sides  of  the  continental  divide  have  traditions  pointing 
toward  the  ancient  grave  builders  as  their  ancestors. 

There  is  probably  no  valid  reason  for  assigning  the  remains  of  this 
region  to  a  very  high  antiquity.  The  highest  stage  of  culture  here  may 
have  been  either  earlier  or  later  than  the  period  of  highest  civilization 
in  Mexico  and  South  America  or  contemporaneous  with  it.  As  to  the 
affinities  of  the  ancient  middle  Isthmian  tribes  with  the  peoples  north 
and  south  of  them  we  can  learn  nothing  positive  from  the  evidences  of 
their  art.  So  far  as  the  art  of  pottery  has  come  within  my  observation, 
it  appears  to  indicate  a  somewhat  closer  relationship  with  the  ancient 
Costa  Eican  peoples  than  with  those  of  continental  South  America;  yet 
in  their  burial  customs,  and  especially  in  their  use  of  gold,  they  were 
like  the  ancient  peoples  of  Middle  and  Southern  New  Grenada. 

The  ancient  cemeteries,  or  huacas,  as  they  are  called  throughout 
Spanish  America,  are  scattered  over  the  greater  part  of  the  Pacific 
slope  of  Chiriqui.  It  is  said  by  some  that  they  are  rarely  found  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  sea,  but  they  occur  elsewhere,  in  the  river 
valleys,  on  the  hills,  the  plateaus,  the  mountains,  and  in  the  deepest 
forests.  They  are  very  numerous,  but  generally  of  small  extent.  The 
largest  described  is  said  to  cover  an  area  of  about  twelve  acres.  They 
were  probably  located  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  villages  and  towns, 
traces  of  which,  however,  are  not  described  by  explorers.  There  can 
be  no  doubt  that  diligent  search  will  bring  to  light  the  sites  of  dwellings 
and  towns.  One  of  the  most  circumstantial  accounts  of  these  burial 
places  is  given  by  Mr.  Merritt,  who  was  also  the  first  to  make  them 
known  to  science.1  Mr.  Merritt  was  director  of  a  gold  mine  in  Veragua, 
and  in  the  summer  of  1859  spent  several  weeks  in  exploring  the  graves 
of  Chiriqui  j  he  therefore  speaks  from  personal  knowledge.  In  the  au- 
tumn of  1858  two  native  farmers  of  the  parish  of  Bugaba,  or  Bugava, 
discovered  a  golden  image  that  had  been  exposed  by  the  uprooting  of 
a  plant.  They  proceeded  secretly  to  explore  the  graves,  the  existence 
of  which  had  been  known  for  years.  In  the  following  spring  their 
operations  became  known  to  the  people,  and  within  a  month  more  than 
a  thousand  persons  were  engaged  in  working  these  extraordinary  gold 
mines.  The  fortunate  discoverers  succeeded  in  collecting  about  a  hun- 
dred and  thirty  pounds  weight  of  gold  figures,  most  of  which  were 
more  or  less  alloyed  with  copper.  It  is  estimated  that  fifty  thousand 
dollars  worth  in  all  were  collected  from  this  cemetery,  which  embraced 
an  area  of  twelve  acres. 

Although  there  are  rarely  surface  indications  to  mark  the  position  of 
the  graves,  long  experience  has  rendered  it  comparatively  easy  to  dis. 
cover  them.     The  grave  hunter  carries  a  light  iron  rod,  which  he  runs 


1  J.  King  Merritt,  in  a  paper  read  before  the  American  Ethnological  Society, 


1860. 


BY    ANCIENT    INHABITANTS    OF    CHIRIQUI.  7 

into  the  ground,  and  thus,  if  any  bard  substance  is  present,  discovers 
the  existence  of  a  burial.  It  is  mentioned  by  one  or  two  -writers  that 
the  graves  are  in  many  cases  marked  by  stones,  either  loose  or  set  in 
the  ground  in  rectangular  and  circular  arrangements.  The  graves  do 
not  often  seem  to  have  had  a  uniform  position  in  relation  to  one  another 
or  to  the  points  of  the  compass.  In  some  cases  they  are  clustered  about 
a  central  tomb,  and  then  assume  a  somewhat  radiate  arrangement; 
again,  according  to  Mr.  McNiel,  they  were  placed  end  to  end,  occupy- 
ing long  trenches.  He  describes  the  pits  as  being  oval  and  quadran- 
gular and  as  having  a  depth  ranging  from  a  few  feet  to  eighteen  feet. 


Fig.  1.  Section  of  an  ordinary  grave,  showing  the  surface  pack  of  river  stones  and  the  positions  of 
the  slabs  and  objects  of  art. 

The  paving  or  pack  consists  of  earth  and  water-worn  stones  ;  the  latter 
are  pitched  in  without  order  and  form  but  a  small  percentage  of  the 
tilling.  He  has  never  seen  such  stones  used  for  facing  up  the  walls  of 
the  pit  or  in  the  construction  of  pillars.  The  flat  stones  which  cover 
the  cyst  are  often  ten  or  fifteen  feet  below  the  surface,  and  are  in  some 
cases  very  heavy,  weighing  three  hundred  pounds  or  more.  A  single 
stone  is  in  some  cases  large  enough  to  cover  the  entire  space,  but  more 
frequently  two  or  more  flat  stones  are  laid  side  by  side  across  the  cavity. 
These  are  supported  by  river  stones  a  foot  or  more  in  length,  set  around 
the  margin  of  the  cyst.  He  is  of  the  opinion  that  both  slabs  and  bowl- 
ders were  in  many  cases  carried  long  distances.  None  of  the  pits  ex- 
amined were  of  the  extraordinary  forms  described  in  detail  by  A.  de 
Zeltner  and  others.  The  implements,  pieces  of  pottery,  and  ornaments 
were  probably  buried  with  the  dead,  pretty  much  as  are  similar  objects 
in  all  parts  of  America.  The  almost  total  disappearance  of  the  human 
remains  makes  a  determination  of  exact  relative  disposition  impossible. 
The  universal  testimony  however,  is  that  all  were  not  placed  with  the 
body,  but  that  some  were  added  as  the  graves  were  filled,  being  placed 
in  crevices  of  the  walls  or  pillars  or  thrown  in  upon  the  accumulating 
earth  or  pebbles  of  the  surface  pavement. 

The  relics  obtained  from  the  tombs  are  confined  almost  exclusively 
to  the  three  least  perishable  materials:  stone,  clay,  and  metal.     The 


8  USE  OF  GOLD  AND  OTHER  METALS 

collections  show  a  great  preponderance  of  objects  of  clay,  of  which  the 
National  Museum  now  owns  about  four  thousand  pieces.  Objects  of 
stone  are  plentiful,  comprising  perhaps  a  tenth  of  the  whole  number 
of  relics.  Objects  of  metal  are  comparatively  rare;  they  are  described 
in  detail  in  the  following  pages. 

USE   OF   GOLD   AND   COPPER. 

The  Chiriquians,  like  many  of  their  neighbors  in  the  tropical  portions 
of  the  American  continent,  were  skilled  in  the  working  of  metals.  Gold, 
silver,  copper,  and  tin — the  latter  in  alloys  with  copper  forming  bronze — 
are  found  in  the  graves.  Gold  is  the  most  important  and  is  associated 
with  all  the  others  in  alloys  or  as  a  surface  coating.  The  inhabitants  of 
the  Isthmus  at  the  time  of  the  discovery  were  rich  in  objects,  chiefly 
ornaments,  of  this  metal,  and  expeditions  sent  out  under  Balboa,  Pizarro, 
and  others  plundered  the  natives  without  mercy.  When  the  Indian 
village  of  Darien  was  captured  by  Balboa  (15 LO)  he  obtained  "plates  of 
gold,  such  as  they  hang  on  their  breasts  and  other  parts,  and  other  things, 
all  of  them  amounting  to  ten  thousand  pesos  of  fine  gold."1  From  an 
expedition  to  Nicaragua,  the  same  adveuturers  brought  back  to  Panama 
the  value  of  "112,524  pieces  of  eight  in  low  gold  and  145  in  pearls."2 
Early  Spanish-American  history  abounds  in  stories  of  this  class. 
Among  others  we  read  that  Columbus  found  the  natives  along  the  At- 
lantic coast  of  Chiriqui  and  Veragua  so  rich  in  objects  of  gold  that  he 
named  the  district  Castillo  del  Oro.  It  is  said  that  the  illusory  stories  of 
an  El  Dorado  somewhere  within  the  continent  of  South  America  arose 
from  the  lavish  use  of  gold  ornaments  by  the  natives  whom  the  Span- 
iards encountered,  and  Costa  Rica  gets  its  name  from  the  same  circum- 
stance. It  is  also  recorded  that  the  natives  of  various  parts  of  Central 
and  South  America,  at  the  date  of  the  conquest,  were  in  the  habit  of 
opening  ancient  graves  for  the  purpose  of  securing  mortuary  trinkets. 
The  whites  have  followed  their  example  with  the  greatest  eagerness. 
As  far  back  as  1042  the  Spaniards  passed  a  law  claiming  all  the  gold 
found  in  the  burial  places  of  Spanish  America,3  the  whole  matter  being 
treated  merely  as  a  means  of  revenue. 

The  objects  of  gold  for  which  the  tombs  of  Chiriqui  are  justly  famous  are 
generally  believed  to  have  been  simple  personal  ornaments,  the  jewelry 
of  the  primeval  inhabitants,  although  it  is  highly  probable  that  many  of 
the  figures  had,  at  least  as  originally  employed,  an  emblematic  meaning. 
They  were,  doubtless,  at  all  times  regarded  as  possessed  of  potent  charms, 
and  thus  capable  of  protecting  and  forwarding  the  interests  of  the  own- 
ers. They  have  been  found  in  great  numbers  within  the  last  twenty- 
five  years,  but  for  the  most  part,  even  at  this  late  date,  have  been  es- 


1  Hen-era,  Hist.  America,  Vol.  VI,  p.  369. 
2Herrera,  Hist.  America,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  287. 

3  Mr.  Hawes's  letter  answering  questions  about  Chiriqui,  read  by  Mr.  Davis  before 
tbe  Am.  Eth.  Soc,  April  17,  1860. 


BY    ANCIENT    INHABITANTS    OF    CHIRIQUI.  9 

teemed  for  their  money  value  only.  Very  many  specimens  found  their 
w  ay  to  this  country,  where  they  were  either  sold  for  curiosities,  or,  after 
long"  waiting  for  a  purchaser,  even  in  the  very  shadow  of  our  muse- 
ums, were  consigned  to  the  furnace.  Many  stories  bearing  upon  this 
point  have  been  told  ine.  A  Washington  jeweler  is  represented  as 
having  exhibited  (about  the  year  18G0)  in  his  window  on  Pennsyl- 
vania avenue  a  remarkable  series  of  these  trinkets,  most  of  which 
were  afterwards  sent  to  New  York  to  be  melted.  About  the  same 
period  a  gentleman  on  entering  a  shop  in  San  Francisco  was  accosted 
by  a  stranger  who  had  his  pockets  well  filled  with  these  curious  relics 
and  wished  to  dispose  of  them  for  cash.  A  number  of  my  acquaint- 
ances have  neat  but  grotesque  examples  of  these  little  images  of  gold 
attached  to  their  watch  guards,  thus  approving  the  tastes  of  our  prehis- 
toric countrymen  and  at  the  same  time  demonstrating  the  identity  of 
ideas  of  personal  embellishment  in  all  times  and  with  all  peoples. 

The  ornaments  are  found  only  in  a  small  percentage  of  the  graves, 
those  probably  of  persons  sufficiently  opulent  to  possess  them  in  life; 
the  great  majority  of  graves  contain  none  whatever.  They  are  often 
found  at  the  bottom  of  the  pits,  and  probably  in  nearly  the  position 
occupied  by  them  while  still  attached  to  the  persons  of  the  dead.  It 
is  said  that  occasionally  they  are  found  in  the  niches  at  the  sides  of  the 
graves,  as  if  placed  during  the  filling  of  the  pit. 

Strangely  enough,  the  gold  is  very  generally  alloyed  with  copper,  the 
composite  metal  ranging  from  pure  gold  to  pure  copper.  A  small  per- 
centage of  silver  is  also  present  in  some  of  the  specimens  examined,  but 
this  is  probably  a  natural  alloy.  In  a  few  cases  very  simple  figures 
appear  to  have  been  shaped  from  nuggets  or  masses  of  the  native  metals; 
this,  however,  is  not  susceptible  of  proof.  The  work  is  very  skillfully 
done,  so  that  we  find  it  difficult  to  ascertain  the  precise  methods  of 
manipulation.  The  general  effect  in  tlie  more  pretentious  pieces  resem- 
bles that  of  our  filigree  work,  in  which  the  parts  are  produced  by  ham- 
mering and  united  by  soldering;  yet  there  are  many  evidences  of  cast- 
ing, and  these  must  be  considered  with  care.  As  a  rule  simple  figures 
and  some  portions  of  composite  figures  present  very  decided  indications 
of  having  been  cast  in  molds;  yet  no  traces  of  these  molds  have  come  to 
light  and  there  are  none  of  those  characteristic  markings  which  result 
from  the  use  of  composite  or  "piece"  molds.  Wire  was  extensively 
used  in  the  formation  of  details  of  anatomy  and  embellishment,  and  its 
presence  does  not  at  first  seem  compatible  with  ordinary  castings.  This 
wire,  or  pseudo-wire  it  may  be,  is  generally  about  oue-twenty-fifth  of 
an  inch  in  diameter. 

The  manner  in  which  the  numerous  parts  or  sections  of  complex  fig- 
ures are  joined  together  is  both  interesting  and  perplexing.  Evidences 
of  the  use  of  solder  have  been  looked  for  in  vain,  and  if  such  a  medium 
was  ever  used  it  was  identical  in  kind  with  the  body  of  the  object  or 
so  small  in  quantity  as  to  escape  detection.    At  the  junction  of  the  parts 


10  USE  OF  GOLD  AND  OTHER  METALS 

there  are  often  decided  indications  of  hammering,  or  at  least  of  the 
strong  pressure  of  an  implement;  but  in  pursuing  the  matter  further 
we  find  a  singular  perfection  in  the  joining,  which  amounts  to  a  coales- 
cence of  the  metals  of  the  two  parts  concerned.  There  is  no  weakness 
or  tendency  to  part  along  the  contact  surfaces,  neither  is  there  anything 
like  the  parting  of  parallel  wires  in  coils  or  where  a  series  of  wires  is 
joined  side  by  side  and  carried  through  various  convolutions.  In  a 
number  of  cases  I  made  sections  of  coils  and  parts  composed  of  a  num- 
ber of  wires,  in  the  hope  of  discovering  evidences  of  the  individuality 
of  tLe  strands,  but  the  metal  in  the  section  is  always  homogeneous, 
breaking  with  a  rough  granular  fracture  and  not  more  readily  along 
apparent  lines  of  junction  than  across  them;  and  further,  in  studying 
in  detail  the  surface  of  parts  unpolished  or  protected  from  wear  by 
handling,  we  find  everywhere  the  granular  and  pitted  unevenness 
characteristic  of  cast  surfaces.  This  is  true  of  the  wire  forms  as  well 
as  of  the  massive  parts,  and  in  addition  to  this,  such  defects  occur  in 
the  wires  as  would  hardly  be  possible  if  tbey  were  of  wrought  gold. 

All  points  considered,  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  the  objects  were 
cast,  and  cast  in  their  entirety.  It  is  plain,  however,  that  the  original 
model  was  made  up  of  separately  constructed  parts  of  wire  or  wire  like 
strands  and  of  eccentric  and  often  rather  massive  parts,  and  that  all 
were  set  together  by  the  assistance  of  pressure,  the  indications  being 
that  the  material  used  was  sufficiently  plastic  to  be  worked  after  the 
manner  of  clay,  dough,  or  wax.  In  one  case,  for  example,  the  body  of 
a  serpent,  consisting  of  two  wires  neatly  twisted  together,  is  held  in  the 
hand  of  a  grotesque  figure.  The  hand  consists  of  four  fingers  made  by 
doubling  together  two  short  pieces  of  wire.  The  coil  has  been  laid 
across  the  hand  and  pressed  down  into  it  until  half  buried,  and  the  ends 
of  the  fingers  are  drawn  up  around  it  without  any  indication  of  hammer 
strokes.  Indeed,  the  effect  is  just  such  as  would  have  been  produced 
if  the  artist  had  worked  in  wax.  Again,  in  the  modeling  of  the  eyes 
we  have  a  good  illustration.  The  eye  is  a  minute  ball  cleft  across  the 
entire  diameter  by  a  sharp  implement,  thus  giving  the  effect  of  the 
parted  lids.  Now,  if  the  material  had  been  gold  o  •  copper,  as  in  the 
specimens,  the  ball  would  have  been  separated  into  two  parts  or  hemi- 
spheres, which  would  not  exhibit  any  great  distortion,  but  as  we  see 
them  here  the  parts  are  flattened  and  much  drawn  out  by  the  pressure 
of  the  cutting  edge,  just  as  if  the  material  had  been  decidedly  plastic. 

It  seems  to  me  that  the  processes  of  manufacture  must  have  been 
analogous  to  those  employed  by  the  more  primitive  metal  workers  of 
our  own  day.  In  Oriental  countries  delicate  objects  of  bronze  and 
other  metals  are  made  as  follows  :  A  model  is  constructed  in  some  such 
material  as  wax  or  resin,  and  over  it  are  placed  coatings  of  clay  or 
other  substance  capable  of  standing  great  heat.  These  coatings,  when 
sufficiently  thickened  and  properly  dried,  form  the  mold  from  which 
the  original  model  is  extracted  by  means  of  heat.     The  fused  metal  is 


BY    ANCIENT    INHABITANTS    OF    CHIRIQUI.  11 

afterwards  poured  in.  As  a  matter  of  course,  both  the  mold  aud  the 
model  are  destroyed  iu  each  case,  aud  exact  duplications  are  not  to  be 
expected.  Mr.  George  F.  Kuuz,  of  New  York,  with  whom  I  have  dis- 
cussed this  matter,  states  that  he  has  seen  live  objects,  such  as  insects, 
used  as  models  in  this  way.  Being  coated  with  washes  of  clay  or  like 
substance  until  well  protected  and  then  heavily  covered,  they  were 
placed  in  the  furnace.  The  animal  matter  was  thus  reduced  to  ashes 
and  extracted  through  small  openings  made  for  the  purpose.  As  bear- 
ing upon  this  subject  it  should  be  mentioned  tbat  occasionally  small 
figures  in  a  fine  reddish  resin  are  obtained  from  the  graves  of  Ohiriqui. 
They  are  identical  in  style  of  modeling  with  the  objects  of  gold  and 
copper  obtained  from  the  same  source. 

In  discussing  possible  processes,  Mr.  William  Hallock,  of  the  division 
of  chemistry  and  physics  of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey,  sug- 
gested that,  if  the  various  sections  of  a  metal  ornament  were  imbedded 
in  the  surface  of  a  mass  of  fire  clay  in  their  proper  relations  and  con- 
tacts, they  could  then  be  completely  inclosed  in  the  mass,  and  subjected 
to  heat  until  the  metal  melted  and  ran  together;  after  cooling,  the 
complete  figure  could  be  removed  by  breaking  up  the  clay  matrix.  I 
imagine  that  in  such  work  much  difficulty  would  be  experienced  in  se- 
curing proper  contact  aud  adjustment  of  parts  of  complex  figures.  It 
will  likewise  be  observed  that  evidences  of  plasticity  in  the  modeling 
material  would  not  exist.  1  must  not  pass  a  suggestion  of  Nadaillac1 
which  offers  a  possible  solution  of  the  problem  of  manipulation.  Re- 
ferring to  a  statement  of  the  early  Spanish  explorers  that  smelting  was 
unknown  to  the  inhabitants  of  Peru,  he  states  that  it  would  be  possible 
for  a  people  in  a  low  state  of  culture  to  discover  that  an  amalgam  of 
gold  with  mercury  is  quite  plastic,  and  that  after  a  figure  is  modeled  in 
this  composite  metal  the  mercury  may  be  dissipated  by  heat,  leaving 
the  form  iu  gold.,  which  then  needs  only  to  be  polished.  There  is,  how- 
ever, no  evidence  whatever  that  these  people  had  any  knowledge  of 
mercury. 

There  is  no  indication  of  carving  or  engraving  in  the  Chiriquian 
work.  In  finishing,  some  of  the  extremities  seem  to  have  been  shaped 
by  hammering.  This  is  a  mere  flattening  out  of  the  feet  or  parts  of 
the  accessories,  which  required  no  particular  skill  and  could  have  been 
accomplished  with  comparatively  rude  stone  hammers.  It  is  a  remark- 
able fact  that  many,  if  not  most,  of  the  objects  appear  to  be  either  plated 
or  washed  with  pure  gold,  the  body  or  foundation  being  of  base  gold 
or  of  nearly  pure  copper.  This  fact,  coupled  with  that  of  the  associa- 
tion of  objects  of  bronze  with  the  relics,  leads  us  to  inquire  carefully 
into  the  possibilities  of  European  influence  or  agency.  I  observe  that 
recent  writers  do  not  seem  to  have  questioned  the  genuiueuess  of  the 
objects  described  by  them  but  that  at  the  same  time  no  mention  is  made 
or  the  plating  or  washing.     This  latter  circumstance  leads  to  the  iufer- 

1  Nadaillac,  Prehistoric  America,  p.  450. 


12  USE  OF  GOLD  AND  OTHER  METALS 

ence  that  pieces  now  in  ray  possession  exhibiting  this  phenomenon  may 
have  been  tampered  with  by  the  whites.  In  this  connection  attention 
should  be  called  to  the  fact  that  history  is  not  silent  on  the  matter  of 
plating.  The  Indians  of  New  Grenada  are  not  only  said  to  have  been 
marvelously  skillful  in  the  manipulation  of  metals,  but,  according  to 
Bollaert,  Acosta  declares  that  these  peoples  had  much  gilt  copperr 
''and  the  copper  was  gilt  by  the  use  of  the  juice  of  a  plant  rubbed 
over  it,  then  put  into  the  fire,  when  it  took  the  gold  color."1  Just 
what  this  means  we  cannot  readily  determine,  but  we  safely  conclude 
that,  whatever  the  process  hinted  at  in  these  words,  a  thin  surface 
deposit  of  pure  gold,  or  the  close  semblance  of  it,  was  actually  ob- 
tained. It  is  not  impossible  that  an  acid  may  have  been  applied  which 
tended  to  destroy  the  copper  of  the  alloy,  leaving  a  deposit  of  gold  upon 
the  surface,  which  could  afterwards  be  burnished  down. 

It  has  been  suggested  to  me  that  possibly  the  film  of  gold  may  in  cases 
be  the  result  of  simple  decay  on  the  part  of  the  copper  of  the  alloy,  the 
gold  remaining  as  a  shell  upon  the  surface  of  the  still  undecayed  portion 
of  the  composite  metal;  but  the  surface  in  such  a  case  would  not  be 
burnished,  whereas  the  show  surfaces  of  the  specimens  recovered  are 
in  all  cases  neatly  polished. 

If  we  should  conclude  that  the  ancient  Americaus  were  probably  able 
to  secure  in  some  such  manner  a  thin  film  of  gold  it  still  remains  to  in- 
quire whether  there  may  not  have  been  some  purely  mechanical  means 
of  plating.  In  some  of  the  Chiriquiau  specimens  a  foundation  of  very 
base  metal  appears  to  have  been  plated  with  heavy  sheet  gold,  which 
as  the  copper  decays  comes  off  in  flakes.  Occasional  pieces  have  a 
blistered  look  as  a  consequence.  Were  these  people  able  with  their 
rude  appliances  to  beat  gold  out  into  very  thin  leaves,  and  had  they 
discovered  processes  by  which  these  could  be  applied  to  the  surface  of 
objects  of  metal  ? 

The  flakes  in  some  cases  indicate  a  very  great  degree  of  thinness. 
Specimens  of  sheet-gold  ornaments  found  in  the  tombs  are  thicker,  but 
are  sufficiently  thin  to  indicate,  if  actually  made  by  these  people,  that 
almost  any  degree  of  thinness  could  be  attained.  It  would  probably 
not  be  difficult  to  apply  thin  sheet  gold  to  the  comparatively  smooth 
surfaces  of  these  ornaments  and  to  fix  it  by  burnishing. 

Mr.  Kuuz  suggests  still  another  mention  by  means  of  which  plating 
could  have  been  accomplished.  If  a  figure  in  wax  were  coated  with 
sheet  gold  and  then  incased  in  a  clay  matrix,  the  wax  could  be  melted 
out,  leaving  the  shell  of  gold  within;  the  cavity  could  then  be  filled 
with  alloy,  the  clay  could  be  removed,  and  the  gold,  which  would  adhere 
to  the  metal,  could  then  be  properly  burnished  down. 

It  will  be  seen  from  this  hasty  review  that,  although  we  may  conclude 
that  casting  and  plating  were  certainly  practiced  by  these  peoples,  we 
must  remain  in  ignorance  of  the  precise  methods  employed. 

1  Bollaert,  Ethnological  and  other  Researches  in  New  Granada,  &c. 


BY    ANCIENT    INHABITANTS    OF    CHIRIQUI.  13 

Referring  to  the  question  of  the  authenticity  of  the  specimens  them- 
selves, I  may  note  that  observations  bearing  upon  the  actual  discovery 
of  particular  specimens  in  the  tombs  are  unfortunately  lacking.  Mr. 
McISIel  acknowledges  that  with  all  his  experience  in  the  work  of  exca- 
vation no  single  piece  has  been  taken  from  the  ground  with  his  own 
hands,  and  he  cannot  say  that  he  ever  witnessed  the  exhumation  by 
others,  although  he  has  been  present  when  they  were  brought  up  from 
the  pits.  Generally  the  workmen  secrete  them  and  afterwards  offer 
them  for  sale.  He  has,  however,  no  shadow  of  a  doubt  that  all  the 
pieces  procured  by  him  came  from  the  graves  as  reported  by  his  col- 
lectors. 

The  question  of  the  authenticity  of  the  gilding  will  not  be  satisfac- 
torily or  finally  settled  until  some  responsible  collector  shall  have  taken 
the  gilded  objects,  and  with  his  own  hands,  from  their  undisturbed 
places  in  the  tombs. 

There  are  many  proofs,  however,  of  the  authenticity  of  the  objects 
themselves.  It  is  asserted  by  a  number  of  early  writers  that  the  Amer- 
ican natives  were,  on  the  arrival  of  the  Spaniards,  highly  accomplished 
in  metallurgy;  that  they  worked  with  blow-pipes  and  cast  in  molds; 
that  the  objects  produced  exhibited  a  high  order  of  skill;  and  that  the 
native  talent  was  directed  with  unusual  force  and  uniformity  toward 
the  imitation  of  life  forms.  It  is  said  that  the  conquerors  were  "  struck 
with  wonder"  at  their  skill  in  this  last  respect.  And  a  strong  argu- 
ment in  favor  of  the  genuineness  of  these  objects  is  found  in  the  fact 
that  it  is  not  at  all  probable  that  rich  alloys  of  gold  would  have  beeu 
used  by  Europeans  for  the  base  or  foundation  when  copper  or  bronze, 
or  even  lead,  would  have  served  as  well.  We  also  observe  that  there 
is  absolutely  no  trace  of  peculiarly  European  material  or  methods  of 
manipulation,  a  fact  hardly  possible  if  the  extensive  reproductions  were 
made  by  the  whites.  Neither  are  there  traces  of  European  ideas  em- 
bodied in  the  shape  and  in  the  decoration  of  the  objects,  a  condition 
that  argues  strongly  in  favor  of  native  origin.  An  equally  convincing 
argument  is  found  in  the  fact  that  all  the  alloys  subject  to  corrosion 
exhibit  marked  evidences  of  decay,  as  if  for  a  long  period  subject  to 
the  destructive  agents  of  the  soil.  In  many  cases  the  copper-alloy  base 
crumbles  into  black  powder,  leaving  only  the  flakes  of  the  plating. 
Lastly  and  most  important,  the  strange  creatures  represented  are  in 
many  cases  identical  with  those  embodied  in  clay  and  in  stone,  and  for 
these  latter  works  no  one  will  for  a  moment  claim  a  foreign  derivation. 
At  the  end  of  this  paper  I  present  two  cuts  of  objects  modeled  in  clay, 
intended  to  illustrate  this  point. 

Considering  all  these  arguments,  I  arrive  at  the  conclusion  that  the 
ornaments  are,  in  the  main,  genuine  antiquities,  and  that,  if  any  fraud 
at  all  has  beeu  practiced,  it  is  to  be  laid  at  the  door  of  modern  gold- 
smiths and  speculators,  who,  according  to  Mr.  McNiel,  are  known  in  a 
'  few  cases  to  have  "doctored''  alloyed  objects  with  washes  of  gold,  with 
the  view  of  selling  them  as  pure  gold. 


14 


USE  OF  GOLD  AND  OTHER  METALS 


I  present  the  following  specimens  with  a  reasonable  degree  of  con- 
fidence that  all,  or  nearly  all,  are  purely  American  products,  and  I 
sincerely  hope  that  at  no  distant  day  competent  archaeologists  may 
have  the  opportunity  of  making  personal  observations  of  similar  relics 
in  place. 

The  objects  consist  to  a  great  extent  of  representations  of  life  forms, 
in  many  cases  more  fanciful  than  real  and  often  extremely  grotesque. 

They  include  the  human  figure  and  a  great  variety  of  birds  and  beasts 
indigenous  to  the  country,  in  styles  resembling  work  of  the  same  region 
in  clay  and  stone.     My  illustrations  show  the  actual  size  of  the  objects. 

The  human  figure. — Statuettes  of  men  and  women  and  of  a  variety  of 
anthropomorphic  figures  of  all  degrees  of  elaboration  abound.     Fig.  2 


Fig.  2.  Human  figure,  formed  of  copper-gold  alloy. 

illustrates  a  plain,  rude  specimen  belonging  to  the  collection  of  J.  B. 
Stearns.  It  was  obtained  by  Mr.  McNiel  from  near  the  south  base  of 
Mount  Chiriqui.  The  body  is  solid  and  the  surface  is  rough  and  pitted, 
as  if  from  decay.  In  many  respects  it  resembles  the  stone  sculptures 
ot  the  Isthmus.  The  metal  is  nearly  pure  copper.  A  piece  exhibiting 
more  elaborate  workmanship,  and  published  by  Bollaert,1  is  shown  in 
Fig.  3.  Another  remarkable  specimen  is  illustrated  by  Do  Zeltner,  but 
the  photograph  published  with  his  brochure  is  too  indistinct  to  permit 
of  satisfactory  reproduction.  He  describes  it  in  the  following  language: 
';The  most  curious  piece  in  my  collection  is  a  gold  figure  of  a  man,  7 
centimeters  in  height.  The  head  is  ornamented  with  a  diadem  termi- 
nated on  each  side  with  the  head  of  a  frog.  The  body  is  nude,  except 
a  girdle,  also  in  the  form  of  a  plait  supporting  a  flat  piece  intended  to 
cover  the  privates,  and  two  round  ornaments  on  each  side.  The  arms 
are  extended  from  the  body;  the  well  drawn  hands  hold,  one  of  them,  a 
short,  round  club,  the  other  a  musical  instrument,  of  which  one  end  is 
in  the  mouth  and  the  other  forms  an  enlargement  like  that  of  a  flute, 
made  of  human  bone.     It  is  not  probable  that  this  is  a  pipe.     Both 


Bollaert's  Antiquarian  Researches  in  New  Granada,  plate  opp.  p.  31. 


BY    ANCIENT    INHABITANTS    OF    CHIRIQUL 


15 


thighs  have  an  enlargement  and  the  toes  are  not  marked  in  this  little 
figurine."1 


FlQ.  3.  Grotesque  human  figure  in  gold,  from  Bollaert. 

In  Fig.  4  we  have  a  rather  rudely  made  and  finished  piece  collected 
by  Mr,  MdNiel  and  now  owned  by  Mr.  Stearns.     It  exhibits  features 


FlG.  4.  Rudely  shaped  aud  finished  human' figure. 


corresponding  to  a  number  of  those  referred  to  by  De  Zeltner.    The 
foundation  is  quite  thin  aud  is  of  a  base  metal  coated  with  pure  gold. 

'A.  De  Zeltner:  Note  sur  les  sepultures  indieunes  du  departement  de  Chiriqui. 


1G 


USE  OF  GOLD  AND  OTHER  METALS 


I  present  two  additional  examples  of  the  human  figure  from  the  col- 
lection of  Mr.  Stearns.  One  of  them,  Fig.  5,  is  an  interesting  little 
statuette  in  dark  copper  that  still  retains  traces  of  the  former  gilding  of 
yellow  gold.  The  crown  is  flat  and  is  surrounded  by  a  fillet  of  twisted 
wire.  The  face  is  grotesque,  the  nose  being  bulbous,  the  mouth  large, 
and  the  lips  protruding.  The  hands  are  represented  as  grasping  cords 
of  wire  which  connect  the  waist  with  the  crown  of  the  figure  and  seem 
to  be  intended  for  the  bodies  of  serpents,  the  heads  of  which  project 
from  the  sides  of  the  head  dress.  Similar  serpents  project  from  the 
ankles.    The  feet  are  flattened  out  as  if  intended  to  be  set  in  a  crevice. 


Fig.  5.  Grotesque  human  figure,  in  nearly  pure  copper,  partially  coated  with  yellow  gold. 

The  extremities  —  excepting  the  feet — the  costume,  and  the  ornaments 
are  all  formed  of  wire.  The  various  parts  of  the  figure  have  been 
modeled  separately  and  set  together  whilst  the  material  was  in  a  plastic 
or  semi-plastic  condition.  This  is  clearly  indicated  by  the  sinking  of 
one  part  into  another  at  the  points  of  contact. 


Fig.  6.  Grotesque  human  figure,  in  nearly  pure  gold. 

An  excellent  example  of  the  more  elaborate  figures  is  shown  in  Fig. 
6.    It  is  of  reddish  gold,  slightly  alloyed,  no  doubt  with  copper,  and 


BY    ANCIENT    INHABITANTS    OF    CHIEIQUI. 


17 


has  in  finishing  received  a  very  thin  wash  or  plating  01  yellow  gold 
which  is  worn  off  in  exposed  parts.  The  central  feature  of  the  rather 
complicated  structure  is  a  grotesque  human  figure,  much  like  the  pre- 
ceding, and  having  counterparts  in  both  clay  and  stone.  The  figure  is 
backed  up  and  strengthened  by  two  curved  and  flattened  bars  of  gold, 
one  above  and  the  other  below,  as  seen  in  the  cut.  The  figure  is  decked 
with  and  almost  hidden  by  a  profusion  of  curious  details,  executed  for 
the  most  part  in  wire,  and  representing  serpents  and  birds.  Three  vult- 
ure like  heads  project  from  the  crown  and  overhang  the  face.  Two 
serpents,  the  bodies  of  which  are  formed  of  plaited  wire,  issue  from  the 
mouth  of  the  figure  and  are  held  about  the  neck  by  the  hands.  The 
heads  of  the  serpents  are  formed  of  wire  folded  in  triangular  form,  and 
are  supplied  with  two  double  coils  of  wire  at  the  sides,  as  if  for  ears, 
and  with  two  little  balls  of  gold  for  eyes.  Similar  heads  project  from 
the  sides  of  the  head  and  from  the  feet  of  the  image. 

The  peculiarities  of  construction  are  seen  to  good  advantage  in  this 
specimen.  The  figure  is  made  up  of  a  great  number  of  separate  pieces, 
united  apparently  by  pressure  or  by  hammering  while  the  material  was 
somewhat  plastic.  Upwards  of  eighty  pieces  can  be  counted.  The 
larger  pieces,  forming  the  body  and  limbs,  are  hollow  or  concave  behind. 
Nearly  all  the  subordinate  parts  are  constructed  of  wire. 

The  bird. — Images  of  birds  are  quite  numerous  and  vary  greatly  in  size 
and  elaboration.  They  are  usually  represented  with  expanded  wings 
and  tails,  the  under  side  of  the  body  being  finished  for  show.  The  back 
is  left  concave  and  rough,  as  when  cast,  and  is  supplied  with  a  ring, 
for  suspension  or  attachment,  as  seen  in  the  profile  view,  Fig.  7.    The 


Fig.  7.  Rudely  executed  image  of  a  bird. 

owl,  the  eagle,  the  parrot,  and  various  other  birds  are  recognized 
although  determinations  of  varieties  are  not  possible,  as  in  many  cases 
the  forms  are  rude  or  greatly  obscured  by  extraueous  details.  The  ex- 
ample shown  in  Fig.  7  is  of  the  simplest  type  and  the  rudest  workman- 
ship, and  is  apparently  intended  for  some  rapacious  species,  possibly  a 
vulture.  The  body,  wings,  and  tail  are  hammered  quite  thin  and  are 
left  frayed  and  uneven  on  the  edges.  The  material  appears  to  be  nearly 
pure  copper,  plated  with  yellow  gold.  Specimens  of  this  class  are  very 
numerous.    One,  presented  in  a  publication  of  the  Society  of  Northern 

CHIR 2 


18  USE  OF  GOLD  AND  OTHER  METALS 

Antiquaries,  and  now  in  the  museum  at  Copenhagen,  is  thought  to  be 
intended  for  a  fish  hawk,  as  it  carries  a  fish  in  its  mouth.  De  Zeltner 
mentions  a  statuette  in  gold  of  a  paroquet,  whose  head  is  ornamented 
with  two  winged  tufts.  Such  a  specimen  may  be  seen  in  the  collection 
of  Mr.  Stearns. 

Fig.  8  is  reproduced  from  Bollaert  and  represents  a  very  elaborately 
worked  parrot. 


FlG.  8.  Image  of  a  bird,  from  Bollaert. 

The  puma. —  Representations  of  quadrupeds  are  quite  common  ;  a  good 
example,  copied  from  Bollaert,  is  given  in  Fig.  9.    The  animal  intended 


Fig.  9.  Puma  shaped  figure. 


is  apparently  a  puma,  a  favorite  subject  with  Chiriquian  workers  in 
clay  and  stone  as  well  as  in  gold.    The  body  is  hollow  and  open  beneath 


Fig.  10.  Figure  of  a  puma  in  base  metal. 

and  the  fore  feet  are  finished  with  loops  for  suspension.  A  similar 
piece  with  head  thrown  back  over  the  body  is  shown  in  Fig.  10.  The 
metal  in  this  case  appears  to  be  nearly  pure  copper. 


BY    ANCIENT    INHABITANTS    OF    CHIRIQUI  19 

Grotesque  figure.  —  Another  piece  collected  by  Mr.  McNiel  is  outlined 
in  Fig.  11.    The  metal  is  quite  base  and  the  surface  has  been  coated 


Fig.  11.  Quadruped  with  grotesque  face,  in  base  metaL 

with  gold,  which  is  now  nearly  all  rubbed  off.  The  shape  is  that  of  a 
quadruped.  The  head  is  completely  reversed,  and  the  face  has  a  rather 
grotesque,  not  to  say  satanic,  expression.  The  details  are  not  unlike 
those  of  other  examples  previously  given. 

The  fish. — The  fish  was  a  favorite  subject  with  the  ancient  nations  of 
South  America,  and  is  modeled  in  clay,  woven  into  fabrics,  and  worked 
in  metals  with  remarkable  freedom.  It  was  in  great  favor  in  Chiriqui 
and  must  have  been  of  importance  in  the  mythology  of  the  country.  It 
occurs  most  frequently  in  pottery,  where  it  is  executed  in  color  and 


Fig.  12.  Figure  of  a  fish,  published  by  F.  M.  Otis,  in  Harper's  Weekly. 

modeled  in  the  round.  The  very  grotesque  specimen  in  gold  shown  in 
Fig.  12  is  copied  from  Harper's  Weekly  of  August  6,  1859,  where  it 
forms  one  of  a  number  of  illustrations  of  these  curious  ornaments.  The 
paper  is  by  Dr.  F.  M.  Otis,  who  had  just  returned  from  Panama. 

The  frog. — The  frog  appears  in  the  plastic  art  of  Chiriqui  more  fre- 
quently perhaps  than  any  other  reptile.    Its  form  is  reproduced  with 


20 


USE  OF  GOLD  AND  OTHER  METALS 


much  spirit  and  in  greatly  varying  sizes,  degree  of  elaboration,  and  style 
of  presentation.  It  is  probable  that  a  number  of  species  are  represented. 
In  Fig.  13  we  Lave  a  large,  rather  plain  specimen,  now  in  the  National 


Fig   13.  Large  figure  of  a  Irog,  in  base  metal  plated  with  gold. 

Museum.  The  body  and  limbs  are  concave  beneath,  the  metal  being 
about  one-sixteenth  of  an  inch  thick.  The  teeth  are  suggested  by  a 
number  of  perforations  encircling  the  jaws  and  the  eyes  are  minute 
hawk  bells  containing  pellets  of  metal.  •  The  legs  are  placed  in  charac- 
teristic positions,  and  the  hind  feet  are  broad  plates  without  indica- 
tions of  toes,  a  characteristic  of  these  golden  frogs.  The  framework  or 
foundation  is  of  copper,  apparently  nearly  pure,  and  the  surface  is 
plated  with  thin  sheet-gold,  which  tends  to  flake  off  as  the  copper  foun- 
dation corrodes. 
The  minute  delicately  finished  example  given  in  Fig.  14  contrasts 


Fig.  14.  Small  figure  of  a  frog,  in  base  metal  plated  with  gold. 

strongly  with  the  preceding.     It  is  also  of  base  metal  plated  with  pure 
gold,  and  belongs  to  the  collection  of  Mr.  Steams. 


BY    ANCIENT    INHABITANTS    OF    CHIRIQUI. 


21 


The  alligator. —  The  alligator,  which  appears  so  frequently  in  the  pot- 
tery of  Chiriqui,  is  only  occasionally  found  in  gold.  A  graphic  specimen 
illustrated  in  Harper's  Weekly  of  August  6,  1859,  is  given  in  Fig.  15. 
A  similar  piece  formed  of  base  metal  is  in  the  collection  of  Mr.  Stearns. 


Fig.  15.  Figure  of  an  alligator,  published  by  F.  M.  Otis,  in  Harper's  Weekly. 

The  crayfish  (!).— In  Fig.  10  we  have  a  fine  specimen  intended  ap- 
parently to  represent  a  crayfish  or  some  similar  crustacean  form.  The 
head  is  supplied  with  complicated  yet  graceful  antennpe-like  appen- 
dages, made  of  wire,  neatly  coiled  and  welded  together  by  pressure  or 
hammering.    The  eyes  are  globular  and  are  encircled  by  the  ends  of  a 


Fig.  16.  Animal  figure,  in  base  metal  plated  with  gold. 

double  loop  of  wire  which  extends  along  the  back  and  incloses  a  line 
of  minute  balls  or  nodes.  The  peculiar  wings  and  tail  will  be  best 
understood  by  referring  to  the  illustration.  The  foundation  metal  is 
much  corroded,  being  dark  and  rotten,  and  the  plating  of  reddish  gold 
seems  to  have  been  coated  with  a  thin  film  of  yellow  gold.     The  profile 


22  USE  OF  GOLD  AND  OTHER  METALS 

view  gives  a  good  idea  of  the  thickness  of  the  inetal  and  of  the  relief 
of  the  parts.  Two  rings  or  loops  of  doubled  wire  are  attached  to  the 
extreme  end  of  the  nose  and  a  heavy  ring  for  suspending  is  fixed  to  the 
under  side  of  the  head. 

Miscellaneous. —  Gold,  pure  and  in  the  usual  alloys,  was  also  used  in 
the  manufacture  of  other  articles,  such  as  bells,  beads,  disks,  balls, 
rings,  whistles,  thimble  shaped  objects,  and  amulets  of  varied  shapes. 
Bells  are  more  generally  made  of  bronze,  because,  perhaps,  of  its 
greater  degree  of  resonance.  Thin  plates,  or  rather  circular  sheets,  of 
gold  leaf  are  numerous.  One  mentioned  by  Bollaert  was  7+  inches  in 
diameter.  They  are  plain  or  crimped  about  the  margins,  indented  in 
various  ways,  and  sometimes  perforated,  apparently  for  suspension  or 
attachment.  Merritt  mentions  examples  having  holes  which  showed 
evidences  of  wear  upon  one  side  only,  indicating  attachment  in  a  fixed 
position  to  some  object  or  to  some  part  of  the  costume.  But  one  ex- 
ample is  at  hand,  a  thin  sheet,  3  inches  in  diameter,  and  crimped  or 
indented  neatly  about  the  margin.  Its  thickness  is  about  that  of  ordi- 
nary tinfoil. 

USE  OF   BRONZE. 

Bells. — Bells  were  in  pretty  general  use  by  the  more  cultured  Amer- 
ican races  previous  to  the  conquest.  The  form  best  known  is  the  hawk 
bell,  or  common  sleigh  bell  of  the  North.  The  globular  body  is  sus- 
pended by  a  loop  at  the  top  and  is  slit  on  the  under  side,  so  that  the 
tinkling  of  the  small  free  pellets  of  metal  may  be  audible.  Such  bells 
are  found  in  considerable  numbers  in  the  graves  of  Chiriqui,  although 
I  have  no  positive  assurance  that  any  of  the  examples  in  my  possession 
were  actually  taken  from  graves  which  contained  typical  Chiriquian 
relics  of  other  classes.  The  specimens  now  in  the  National  Museum, 
Fig.  17,  are  in  most  cases,  if  not  in  all,  of  bronze,  as  demonstrated  by 


Fig.  17.  Bronze  bells,  plated  or  washed  with  gold. 


Mr.  B.  B.  Eiggs,  of  the  chemical  laboratory  of  the  United  States  Geo- 
logical Survey.  All  have  been  cast  in  molds.  In  most  cases  there  are 
traces  of  a  plating  of  gold.  The  largest  is  1^  inches  in  height  and  three- 
fourths  of  an  inch  in  diameter.    It  is  surmounted  by  the  rude  figure 


BY    ANCIENT    INHABITANTS    OF    CHIRIQUI. 


23 


of  an  animal,  through  or  beneath  the  body  of  which  is  an  opening  for 
the  attachment  of  a  cord.  Others  have  simple  loops  at  the  top.  A 
number  of  examples  are  illustrated  in  Fig.  17.  The  additional  piece 
given  in  Fig.  18  is  unique  in  conception.  It  represents  a  human  bead 
which  takes  an  inverted  position  when  the  bell  is  suspended.  The 
lower  part  of  the  bell  forms  a  conical  crown  to  the  head  and  the  ring 
of  suspension  is  attached  to  the  chin.  Double  coils  of  wire  take  the 
place  of  the  ears,  and  the  other  features  are  formed  by  setting  on  bits 
of  the  material  used  in  modeling.    This  specimen  belongs  to  the  collec- 


FlQ.  18.  Bronze  bell  with  human  features. 

tion  of  Mr.  Stearns.  Many  examples  of  more  elaborate  workmanship 
have  been  recovered  from  the  tombs  and  are  now  to  be  found  in  the 
collections  of  America  and  Europe. 

A  specimen  found  many  years  ago  on  the  Bio  Grande,  near  Panama, 
and  figured  in  Harper's  Weekly,  was  of  gold  and  showed  specific  varia- 


Fia.  19.  Triple  bell  or  rattle,  found  on  the  Bio  Giande. 

tions  from  the  Chiriquian  pieces.     It  will  be  seen  by  reference  to  the 
outline  given  in  Fig.  19  that  three  very  neatly  shaped  and  gracefully 


24 


USE  OF  GOLD  AND  OTHER  METALS 


ornamented  bells  are  mounted  upon  a  circular  plate,  to  which  a  short 
handle  is  attached.  It  was  evidently  not  intended  for  suspension,  but 
rather  to  be  held  in  the  hand  as  a  rattle. 

A  question  as  to  the  authenticity  of  these  bells  as  aboriginal  works 
very  naturally  arises,  and  it  may  be  difficult  to  show  to  the  satisfaction 
of  the  skeptical  mind  that  any  particular  specimen  is  not  of  European 
origin  or  inspiration.  At  the  same  time  we  are  not  without  strong 
proofs  that  such  bells  were  in  use  by  the  Americans  before  the  advent 
of  the  whites.  Historical  accounts  are  not  wanting,  but  I  shall  only 
stop  to  point  out  some  of  the  internal  evidences  of  the  native  art.  The 
strongest  argument  is  to  be  found  in  the  presence  of  analogous  features 
in  other  branches  of  the  art  and  in  other  arts.  The  eyes  of  the  golden 
figures  of  reptiles  are  in  many  cases  minute  hawk  bells,  and  in  works 
of  clay,  the  purely  aboriginal  character  of  which  has  not  been  called 
in  question,  similar  features  are  discovered.  The  American  origin  of 
the  bell  is  not,  therefore,  to  be  questioned.    The  form  originated,  no 


Fig.  20.  Example  of  ancient  Mexican  bell. 


doubt,  in  the  rattle,  at  first  a  nut-shell  or  a  gourd;  later  it  was  modeled 
in  clay,  and  in  time  the  same  idea  was  worked  out  in  the  legs  and  orna- 
ments of  vessels  and  in  the  heads  and  other  parts  of  life  forms,  which 
were  made  hollow  and  supplied  with  tinkling  pellets.  With  the  ac- 
knowledged skill  of  these  people  in  the  working  of  metals,  there  is  no 
reason  why  the  bells  described  should  not  have  been  manufactured  in- 
dependently of  European  aid  and  influence 

It  should  be  observed  that  if  these  early  American  bells  were  copied 
from  or  based  upon  Spanish  originals  they  would  not  probably  vary 
greatly  in  type  with  the  various  sections  from  which  they  are  recovered, 
but  it  is  observed  that  marked  and  persistent  differences  do  occur.  The 
well  known  Mexican  bell,  an  example  of  which  is  outlined  in  Fig.  20, 
although  of  bronze,  is  generically  distinct  in  form  and  construction. 


BY    ANCIENT    INHABITANTS    OF    CHIRIQUI.  25 

RESUME. 

In  a  brief  review  I  may  recall  the  more  salient  points  regarding  the 
use  of  metals  in  ancient  ChiriquL  Gold,  silver,  copper,  and  tin  are 
represented. 

Gold  and  copper  were  very  plentifully  distributed  among  the  Isthmian 
races,  but  we  have  little  information  upon  the  sources  of  supply.  Free 
gold  is  found  in  the  stream  beds  of  many  localities  and  copper  was 
probably  found  in  its  native  state  in  some  convenient  locality;  yet  it  is 
not  impossible  that  these  metals  were  transported  from  distant  regions, 
as  there  must  have  been  considerable  intercourse  between  the  inhab- 
itants of  Chiriqui  and  those  of  Grenada  on  the  south  and  of  Central 
America  on  the  north.  Silver  and  tin  are  found  in  alloys  with  gold  and 
copper,  but  not  as  independent  metals.  The  silver-gold  alloy  is  proba- 
bly a  natural  compound.  In  no  case  have  I  found  silver  to  exceed  6 
per  cent,  of  the  composite  metal.  Tin  was  artificially  alloyed  with  cop- 
per, forming  bronze.  The  latter  metal  resembles  our  ordinary  bronze 
in  color  and  hardness,  but  I  am  unable  to  secure  more  than  a  qualitative 
analysis  on  account  of  the  scarcity  of  specimens  available  for  the  pur- 
pose. We  have  no  information  in  regard  to  the  origin  of  the  tin.  It 
is  not  found  in  a  native  state  and  since  it  seems  hardly  probable  that 
the  Chiriquians  understood  smelting  ores  we  are  left  in  doubt  as  to 
whether  it  was  obtained  from  more  cultured  nations  to  the  north  or 
south  or  from  Europeans.  The  gold-copper  alloys  appear  to  range  from 
pure  gold  to  pure  copper. 

The  great  majority  of  objects  were  formed  by  casting  in  molds.  Ham- 
mering was  but  little  practiced,  excepting,  apparently,  in  the  formation 
of  sheet  gold,  which  was  probably  an  indigenous  product.  Eepousse 
work  is  not  found,  save  as  represented  in  the  crimping  and  indent- 
ing of  gold  leaf.  Engraving  and  carving  were  not  practiced.  It  may  be 
considered  certain  that  gilding,  or  at  least  plating,  was  understood. 

The  objects  are  obtained  from  ancient  graves,  of  which  no  record 
or  reliable  tradition  is  preserved.  They  are  all  ornaments,  no  coin, 
weapon,  tool,  or  utensil  having  come  to  my  notice.  The  absence  ot 
utensils  and  of  hammered  objects  of  any  kiud  strikes  me  as  being 
rather  extraordinary,  since  it  is  popularly  supposed  that  hammering' 
should,  in  the  normal  succession  of  events,  precede  casting  and  that 
utensils  should  be  made  before  elaborate  ornaments. 

The  work  exhibits  close  analogies  with  that  of  the  mainland  of  South 
America,  but  these  analogies  appear  to  be  in  material,  treatment,  and 
scope  of  employment  rather  than  in  the  subject  matter  of  the  concep- 
tions. The  personages  and  zoomorphic  characters  represented  are 
characteristically  Chiriquian,  and  were  derived  no  doubt  from  the 
mythology  of  the  locality.    These  works  affiliate  with  the  various  works 


26  USE  OF  GOLD  AND  OTHER  METALS 

in  stone  and  clay,  the  art  products  of  the  province  thus  constituting  a 
fairly  homogeneous  whole,  and  being  entirely  free  from  traces  of  Euro- 
pean influence. 

Metals  do  not  come  into  use  early  in  the  history  of  a  race,  as  they  are 
not  found  in  shapes  or  conditions  suitable  for  immediate  use,  nor  are 
they  when  found  sufficiently  showy  to  be  especially  desirable  for  orna- 
ments. A  long  period  must  have  elapsed  before  the  use  of  metals  was 
discovered  at  all  and  a  longer  period  passed  by  before  they  were  worked, 
and,  in  the  light  of  our  knowledge  of  the  ancient  tribes  of  the  United 
States,  it  would  seem  that  a  considerable  degree  of  culture  may  be 
achieved  before  the  casting  of  metals  is  understood ;  but  in  the  ordinary 
course  of  progress  the  discovery  of  methods  of  alloying  rare  metals 
would  be  far  separated  from  that  of  the  simple  fusing  and  casting  of 
a  single  metal,  such  as  gold.  The  Chiriquian  peoples  not  only  had  a 
knowledge  of  the  methods  of  alloying  gold  with  copper  and  apparently 
copper  with  tin,  but,  if  our  data  are  correct,  they  were  able  to  plate  the 
baser  metals  and  alloys  with  sheet  gold,  and,  what  is  far  more  wonder- 
ful, to  wash  them  with  gold,  producing  an  effect  identical  with  that  of 
our  galvanic  processes. 

The  character  of  the  conceptions  embodied  in  the  art  unite  with 
evidences  of  technical  skill  to  prove  to  us  that  American  culture,  as 
represented  by  the  ornaments  of  Chiriqui,  was  not  the  product  of  a  day, 
but  of  long  periods  of  experiment  and  progress. 

The  sum  of  the  art  achievements  of  these  peoples  indicates  perhaps  a 
somewhat  lower  degree  of  culture  than  that  attained  by  the  Mexicans 
and  the  Peruvians,  the  ceramic  art  alone  challenging  the  world  in 
respect  to  refinement  of  form  and  simplicity  and  delicacy  of  treatment. 


BY    ANCIENT    INHABITANTS    OF    CHIRIQUI. 


27 


FIGURES  MODELED  IN   CLAY   SHOWING  CLOSE   ANALOGIES  WITH   THE 

WORK  IN   GOLD. 


Fig.  21.  Frog  modeled  in  clay  and  used  as  a  vase  ornament 


Fig.  22.  Grotesque  anthropomorphic  figures,  used  in  a  stool  like  object  of  clay. 


